Sees All

When is a crime not a crime? That seems to be a question French films are asking lately. Latest to explore this issue is Francois Ozon in his new film with the awkwardly translated title WHEN FALL IS COMING. The main story concerns a woman, Michelle, and the strained relationship with her daughter. The daughter right off the bat appears eager for her mother to die so she can inherit the lovely country home, even though Michelle has already given her the beautiful large apartment in the city. The whole film is beautifully photographed with the autumn foliage providing a spectacular backdrop. It's mushroom season. The daughter, an embittered divorcee, brings her young son to visit his grandmother, Michelle. Michelle and her grandson enjoy a very loving relationship. Michelle makes lunch featuring a sumptuous mushroom dish. After lunch, she and her grandson go on an outing together. They return to find that the daughter has fallen ill, apparently from having eaten a poison mushroom. The daughter accuses her mother of deliberately trying to poison her. The police investigate. The cops are sympathetic, but the daughter threatens to keep her grandson away from his grandmother. It turns out that Michelle has an unsavory past, which is at the root of her daughter's bitterness. Michelle's best friend is Marie-Claude, whom she accompanies to visit her son Vincent, who is imprisoned for some unstated crime. (At one point we see him going to a gay cruising ground.) Apparently, he's basically a good person who just has a lot of bad habits that get him into trouble. He loves Michelle, who has always been kind to him. When Marie-Claude dies, he becomes closer to Michelle and wants to help smooth things over between her and her daughter. I don't want to include spoilers, but things take a negative turn at this point, raising a lot of questions. The police become suspicious and step up their investigation of Michelle and Vincent. This is an intelligent and compelling film for adults. There are no car chases, explosions, or vulgar jokes. It held my attention all the way through, despite the unsensational approach to the material. Performances are all excellent, especially Helene Vincent as Michelle. (Who says that there are no good roles for older women? Maybe in Hollywood, but the French have given us a great one in this film.) The more I think about this film, the more I appreciate it.